


together we got plenty super power

by cabaretgay



Series: Caesar's Palace Shipping Week August 2018 [3]
Category: Leah on the Offbeat - Becky Albertalli, Love Simon (2018), Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli
Genre: F/F, dress codes are dumb af, i don't accept the vice principal so that's why he's not here, i'm a feminist and if you're not you won't like this fic, this fic is basically me yelling about sexism through abby and leah, which is fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 11:58:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15605799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cabaretgay/pseuds/cabaretgay
Summary: In which sexist dress codes are reformed, thanks to Abby and Leah.Spoilers for Leah on the Offbeat.





	together we got plenty super power

**Author's Note:**

> title from superpower by beyonce the queen herself

Leah loved the outfit she was wearing. It made her feel beautiful, and according to Abby, she looked beautiful, too, although Abby was biased, being her girlfriend and all. The outfit consisted of a jean jacket, a little red mini-dress, and fishnet stockings that led into Doc Martens. She hadn’t really had the self-confidence to wear it outside the house yet, so school was a big step.

Abby and Leah were walking to class when they heard Leah’s name being called from behind them. They turned around to face the head of the English department, Mr. Skimm, who was notorious for dress-coding girls who didn’t need to be dress-coded. (Although, Abby and Leah agreed that there were very, very few incidents where girls, or anyone, for that matter, _needed_ to be dress-coded. Just for the record. Abby cursed under her breath.

“Miss Burke, I’m going to have to ask you to change.” said Mr. Skimm. “I’m afraid that your dress is too short.”

Abby rolled her eyes. “What do you _mean_ , too short? It’s literally almost to her knees!”

“Miss Suso, please proceed to class, or I’ll have to give you a detention as well as asking Miss Burke to change, and I don’t think any of us want that.”

“Go,” Leah whispered to Abby. Abby scowled at the teacher, which was odd considering her sunny, happy-go-lucky personality, and stalked off to World Geo.

Mr. Skimm led Leah to the office, where he had her stand while he had the office ladies get her a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Leah’s mind raced as she went through all the things her mom had explained to her about dress codes-- they’re inherently sexist, enforced in an even more sexist way, and really just freaking messed up. Especially this specific dress code, which forbade any shorts or dresses above the knee and tank tops of any width. Basically, it was made to enforce that the girls wear nothing less than full-length pants and a T-shirt.  
  
“With all due respect, ma’am, I don’t think my dress is too short, and I think that if Mr. Skimm is ‘distracted’--” air quotes-- “by it, he is the problem, not my dress.” Leah said to the lady who handed her a pair of old jeans and an old, ugly T-shirt from some 5k that happened years ago.

The woman peered down her glasses. “Dear, I’m sorry, but I have to have you change. I was told I have to threaten detention, too, and even suspension if you don’t cooperate.”

Leah huffed and took the clothes, mostly because she didn’t want suspension, and changed. When she walked into World Geo, Abby’s eyes narrowed and Leah could see she was formulating a plan. What? That would have to wait.

* * *

Leah walked into the school the next morning and made her way to Abby’s locker, like she did every morning, but Abby wasn’t there. She pulled out her phone and texted her to check, and not a minute later, the phone buzzed. 

ABBY: b wing

Leah furrowed her brow. Why was Abby all the way over there? She stuffed her bag in Abby’s locker, as you do, and started to walk to the B wing, where she saw her girlfriend holding a stack of papers and a roll of tape.

Looking around the hall, Leah saw that the papers Abby was hanging were flyers. She stopped and looked up to read one.

_“When you interrupt a girl’s school day to force her to change clothes or to send her home because her shorts are short, or her bra straps are visible, you are telling her that making sure boys have a “distraction free” learning environment is more important than her education._

_If a boy is “distracted” by a girl’s knee, or shoulder, or bra strap, the problem is not with the clothing, it is with the boy. Instead of shaming girls for their bodies, teach boys that girls are not sexual objects.”_

She smiled as she read it. Abby was so good at putting words to her thoughts, and this was so eloquent and so right and so goddamn important.

“Abs, can I have some?” she asked her girlfriend, who, Leah just noticed, was wearing short shorts and a tank top,exposing her _scandalous_ thighs and shoulders. All the more reason to admire that girl.

Abby smiled and handed Leah half the stacks and a roll of duct tape, and they got to work adorning the halls of the school with the posters.

* * *

 Nothing really happened until third period, when Abby got pulled out of class for too-short shorts and showy shoulders. Abby wordlessly handed the teacher a poster from her binder, and as the teacher read it, the class snickered. All through it, Abby kept her head high, and so did Leah.

The teacher called the principal, Mrs. Gates, on the little classroom phone, and she walked into the classroom five minutes later, high heels clicking on the floor. “What’s the problem?”

Again, Abby wordlessly handed the principal a poster. She read it over.

“Mr. Kynes, I’m going to have to ask you to let Miss Suso off the hook. She has a very good point, and I think I’m going to have the teachers be a little more lax with the dress code. I’ll see if I can get it formally changed, but considering this is Georgia, it’s doubtful.” She smiled at Abby and then Leah. “And I think I owe Miss Burke an apology. Yesterday was uncalled for.”

Leah nodded her thanks, and Abby smiled at her.

“Consider this discussion over. Abby, Leah, you look great. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

**Author's Note:**

> the text on abby's poster comes from one of those pictures that floats around tumblr and then eventually pinterest which is where i found it and now we're here. i did add a little, but credit goes to the original creator for most of the text.
> 
> @the-cabaret-gay on tumblr


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